Big Brother Reed
by SSBFreak
Summary: Changed title. During a break, Reed starts to take a liking to a certain ranch owner. (romance again)
1. The Break

Chapter one: The Break  
  
Three lone figures, one woman and two men, walked through Yaza Plains on a sunny day, working their way towards Budehuc Castle. The woman, the one in the lead, was shorter and younger than the two men, and wore a purple outfit complete with a purple hat with a red feather. Her brown hair reached past her shoulders. One of the men, the one who looked the oldest, had tanned skin with short, white hair. He wore a white and brown suit with brown pants. The other man looked slightly younger, was Caucasian and had a full head of slick, blonde hair. His sideburns of the same colour reached his cheeks. He wore the same outfit as the other man, and was just as tall.  
  
Lilly, Samus and Reed walked through Yaza Plains, fighting off any creatures that tried to attack them. A couple hours ago, Thomas had told Lilly that he wanted to have an important meeting with her, Hugo and Chris. Lilly had spent a couple hours at Brass Castle, but couldn't find anything that satisfied her. She, along with her attendants Reed and Samus, were now on the way back to the castle to have the meeting with Thomas.  
  
Suddenly, the three Tinto warriors heard a rustling in a nearby bush. The trio looked at the bush, heard an insane noise, and saw a rabid rabbit rush from the bush, axe ready to attack. The rabid animal leapt at Samus.  
  
"I've got this one." Samus said as he reached for his sword.  
  
Just as the rabbit looked like it was going to bring his axe down on Samus' head, the tanned swordsman pulled his sword from its holster and, in a lightning quick attack, sliced at the rabid rabbit, killing it instantly.  
  
Looking down at the dead animal, Samus placed his sword back as the three continued their trek through Yaza.  
  
Soon, the trio had arrived at Budehuc Castle. Cecile, the young guard, stood at the entrance. She smiled when she saw the three approaching.  
  
"Greetings, miss Pendragon." Cecile said, bowing to Lilly. "Master Thomas is expecting you."  
  
Cecile turned around and led Lilly, Reed and Samus through Budehuc, towards the main building. They passed the Inn, Piccolo's tent, Martha's booth, Gordon's Item Shop and Guillame's Appraisal Shop. Cecile pushed open the door to the building and walked in. Lilly was about to follow, but she turned around to face her two attendants.  
  
"Reed. Samus." Lilly said. "This meeting I going to will take about an hour. I don't have anything for you to do at the moment, so until the meeting is over, I'm going you both a one hour break."  
  
"Thank you, milady!" Both men exclaimed at the same time, bowing to Lilly.  
  
After Lilly had vanished into the building, wide smiles spread across the faces of Reed and Samus. Samus turned to look at Reed, who had done the same.  
  
"Did I just hear what I think I heard?" Samus asked.  
  
"I believe you did, Samus." Reed replied.  
  
"MILADY HAS GIVEN US A BREAK!" Both men shouted in unison. The gave each other a high five and shouted 'BOO-YAH!', not aware that Edge was sitting aside, watching them. The red-haired man stared at Reed and Samus with an odd glare before shaking his head.  
  
Reed and Samus walked down the stairs that led into the main area of the castle. They both looked around.  
  
"So, what're you going to do with your free hour, Samus?" Reed asked.  
  
Samus looked at the Inn. He looked at the window and saw Geddoe and his team sitting at one of the tables inside. He looked back at Reed. "I might go into the Inn and hang around with Geddoe and his team. I've been wanting to get to know them for a while." He was silent for a second. "How about you?"  
  
Reed scratched his chin. He wasn't exactly sure about what he could do. "I think I might just wander around the castle and see if I can find anyone to talk to."  
  
"Fine with me." Samus said. He turned around and walked towards the Inn.  
  
"Enjoy your break!" Reed called out.  
  
"You too!" Samus replied. "We'll meet back here in an hour!"  
  
Reed agreed as Samus disappeared into the Inn. The blonde man turned around and walked towards the steps that led down towards Juan's training building. He figured that he might as well start down there.  
  
Reed walked down the steps and turned right at the bottom. He walked towards Juan's building, thinking that he might be able to talk with Juan. Reed turned away when he saw Juan's figure lying sprawled out on the grass, sound asleep.  
  
The blonde swordsman decided to try down by the shore. He didn't have much luck there either. Scott's trading shop was busy, as was Maime's restaurant. Reed decided to try the basement of the castle, so he pushed open the door that was built into the cliff.  
  
Reed fared even worse in the basement. He tried to start a conversation with Watari, but the back clad ninja didn't say a word to him. Kidd wasn't in his investigation nook, Wan Fu was unconscious in the storage room, Twaikan was too busy digging in the 'graveyard' to even notice Reed, and Muto had left his storeroom.  
  
Reed left the castle, upset that he was running out of places to go. He had one choice left: The ranch.  
  
Reed walked back to Juan's building, where Juan was still sleeping, continued walked past it. He also passed Peggi's Blacksmith shop, where the lizardman was upgrading Melville's sword. Reed continued walking towards the ranch.  
  
When he arrived at the ranch, it didn't look like there was many people there. In fact, it looked like Kathy was the only one there. The cowgirl stood in front of the stable, stroking a horse's face.  
  
Reed was about to walk over to Kathy when he noticed the field beyond the fence. Reed walked over to the fence and leaned against it. The wide field was such a breathtaking sight, Reed couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. The mountains in the distance looked like they reached the sky. Kathy's horses roamed the field of lush, green grass, enjoying the warm weather. And the fact that the day was bright and sunny with very few clouds in the sky only seemed to make the scene more beautiful.  
  
Reed sighed at the wonderful sight, but suddenly, he heard something behind him.  
  
"REED!!"  
  
Reed jumped forward and shouted in surprise. He spun around and found himself staring at the pudgy face of Kenji.  
  
"Come on, Reed!" Kenji said. "Get your lazy behind into gear! Let's start with jumping jacks!" Kenji started doing the exercise he had mentioned. "Hup, two! Hup, two! Hup, two!"  
  
Reed suddenly found himself doing jumping jacks with Kenji, but froze in mid-jump. He looked at his hands. "What am I doing?" He looked at Kenji, and came up with an idea. "Kenji, you've done so much to keep everyone in shape. Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
Kenji stopped exercising at scratched his chin. "Well, I'd like to find out how fit I am." He said.  
  
Reed smirked. This was JUST the answer he wanted. "If you want to see how fit you are, why don't you go arm-wrestle Emily?"  
  
Kenji was silent for a few seconds, then perked right up. "You know, that's actually a good idea! Thanks, Reed!" With that, Kenji jogged off.  
  
"I wonder if he realizes I was joking." Reed said. He walked over to Kathy, who had noticed him coming.  
  
"Hey, Reed!" Kathy said, smiling.  
  
"Good day, Kathy." Reed replied with a smile.  
  
"So, what brings you here?" Kathy asked.  
  
"Milady has given Samus and I a break." Reed explained. "I'm just looking for someone to talk to."  
  
"So you came to me?" Kathy asked. "That's so sweet of you!"  
  
Reed blushed. He looked at the horse she was stroking. "Kathy, may I ask why you love this horse so much? I mean, not only are you always seen stroking it or feeding it, but you never put it on the track."  
  
"Oh, Gage is my favourite horse." Kathy replied. "She was my father's horse, and is the only thing I have left of him."  
  
Reed swallowed as he saw a lone tear stream down Kathy's face. He didn't want to ask how Kathy's father died, as he didn't want to make her any more upset.  
  
Kathy immediately perked up. "You wanna pet her?" She asked.  
  
"Well...I don't know." Reed said. "I'm not really good with horses."  
  
"It's alright!" Kathy laughed. "She's friendly!"  
  
Slowly, Reed reached his right hand over to Gage's face. Reed placed his gloved hand on the horse's face and slowly stroked her. Reed was surprised when the horse pressed her head closer to his hand.  
  
"See? Gage likes you!" Kathy stated.  
  
Reed smiled. Gage DID seem to like him. He looked back at Kathy. "Isn't it hard running a ranch like this all by yourself?"  
  
"I'm used to it." Kathy replied. "Besides, it's not the work of responsibility that gets to me."  
  
"Oh? What DOES bother you?" Reed asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Kathy was silent. She hung her head. "The loneliness."  
  
Reed jerked to attention. "What?"  
  
"It's just that no one ever talks to me." Kathy replied. "Kenji is usually exercising, Barts is always working on the fields, and all anyone ELSE does is go onto the race track to try and grab the top time away from Percival."  
  
Reed couldn't believe his ears. How could anyone NOT want to talk with Kathy? Reed shook his head. "Don't worry, Kathy. I've still got a half an hour left for my break. I'll stay here and talk with you."  
  
Reed spent the next twenty minutes talking with Kathy. During their long talk, Reed could tell from the look in Kathy's eyes that she was enjoying his company.  
  
After a while, to Reed's dismay, his twenty minutes were up. He looked at Kathy. "I'm sorry Kathy, but my break will be over soon, and I don't want to anger milady." He said.  
  
"Oh, right." Kathy said, remembering Reed's break. "Well, I appreciate you coming here, Reed. It's nice to have someone to talk to for a change."  
  
Reed was silent for a few seconds. "Kathy, I have an idea." He said. "The next time milady gives me a break, I'll come over here and help you out."  
  
Kathy's eyes sparkled. "I'd love that, Reed! Very much!"  
  
Reed bid farewell to Kathy and walked away from the ranch. During his trek back to the Inn to meet with Samus, Reed couldn't seem to get his mind off of Kathy. Her sweet smile, her beautiful eyes. Reed made up his mind right then and there. He was definitely going to get to know Kathy more. He just HAD to. By the time Reed had gotten out of his thoughts, he had passed the Blacksmith, where Peggi was upgrading Augustine's sword.  
  
Reed walked back up the stairs, into the main area of the castle, towards the Inn.  
  
The blonde man pushed open the door to the Inn and walked in. He looked at Sebastian. "Is Samus still here, Sebastian?"  
  
"Oh, yes he's here." Sebastian replied. He pointed into the room where the tables were. "He's in there."  
  
Reed thanked Sebastian and walked into the room. The first thing he noticed was many people, including Samus, Mel, Toppo, Nei, Shabon, Geddoe and his team, standing around a table, where Kenji and Emily were sitting. Samus was standing beside the doorway, and had spotted Reed walk in, standing beside him.  
  
"Reed, get a load of this." Samus said. "Kenji walked in here a while ago and, after Emily finally showed up, he challenged her to a round of arm- wrestling."  
  
Reed raised an eyebrow. "No kidding?"  
  
"Okay." Queen, who was closest to the table Kenji and Emily were sitting at, said. "First one to pin the opponent's arm is the winner." By now, Reed knew that she was the judge. "Ready?" Kenji and Emily nodded. "Okay...GO!"  
  
As soon as Queen said that, Emily slammed Kenji's arm onto the table with such great impact that Kenji flipped from his seat and landed on the floor.  
  
Reed tried his hardest not to laugh. He looked at Samus. "We'd better get going. Our hour is almost up."  
  
Samus nodded as the two men left the Inn.  
  
Quickly, Reed and Samus arrived at the front door to the mansion and stood there, waiting for Lilly to emerge.  
  
Suddenly, as if on cue, Lilly came out the front door. She quickly noticed her attendants. "Ah. Reed. Samus." She said. "Did you two enjoy your break?"  
  
"Yes milady." Samus said, bowing to Lilly.  
  
Reed thought of his break once more. He thought of the ranch, the wonderful scenery, and most importantly, Kathy. Reed smiled.  
  
"Most assuredly, milady."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: Okay. I still haven't quite beaten Suikoden 3 yet, so don't tell me if it reveals Kathy's origins. And about the pairing. I've always liked the 'unique' pairings (but not m/m or f/f) (I've paired up Malon from Zelda with Billy Kane from King of Fighters, for cryin' out loud!) and for some strange reason, I can picture Reed and Kathy together. Please read and review! 


	2. Helping Out

Note to DEL: Thanks for clearing up the age difference between Reed and Kathy. O_O I honestly didn't know Kathy was THAT much younger than Reed. Therefore, this fic will no longer be a romance fic, at least not in the boyfriend/girlfriend sort of way.  
  
Chapter Two: Helping Out  
  
Weeks passed since Reed's break. During the break, Reed had a talk with Kathy. Since then, the blonde swordsman couldn't wait until Lilly gave him another break, as he wanted to have another talk with Kathy.  
  
Currently, Reed and Samus were sitting inside the Inn at Budehuc Castle, waiting for Lilly to wake up. They had again been called from Tinto for Lilly to have another meeting with Thomas, but they didn't arrive at Budehuc until late the night before. As both of Lilly's attendants sat at a table, Samus noticed that Reed was staring out the window with a gaze he had never noticed before. Instantly, Samus became curious.  
  
"What's wrong, Reed?" Samus asked.  
  
Reed snapped to attention, staring at Samus. "What? Oh, nothing." He said as he continued staring out the window. "I just hope that milady will give us another break while she's in the meeting."  
  
"Why? What did you do on your last one?" Samus asked.  
  
"I was at the ranch, talking with Kathy." Reed explained. "I promised her that on my next break, I'd go help her at the ranch for a little while."  
  
Samus raised an eyebrow. Reed even said himself that he was never very good with horses. "You? Working at the ranch? Doesn't seem normal."  
  
"Well, I'd do almost anything to get to know Kathy more." Reed said. "You can't imagine how much I enjoyed talking with her.  
  
Samus' eyes sprang open as soon as Reed said those words. The tanned warrior waved his hands in front of his face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just a minute, Reed!" He said frantically. "Don't you go get feelings for her! She's nine years younger than you!"  
  
Reed looked at Samus. "Don't worry, Samus. I'm not gonna fall in love with her or anything."  
  
"I think you will, anyway." Samus stated. "I bet that you're gonna eventually get feelings for that teenager."  
  
Before Reed could counter, Lilly Pendragon entered the room. Both attendants immediately rose to their feet.  
  
"Good morning, milady." Reed and Samus said in unison.  
  
"Reed and Samus, I'm heading over to have the meeting with Thomas. Therefore, I'm giving you another one hour break." Lilly stated.  
  
"Thank you, milady!" Both men said automatically.  
  
Without another word, Lilly left the Inn. Samus looked at his partner.  
  
"Well Reed, it looks like you're getting your wish." Samus said.  
  
"Yes! It does, doesn't it!" Reed said, clearly excited that he'd be able to help Kathy.  
  
"I only have one request." Samus said.  
  
"What might that be?"  
  
"That you don't fall in love with Kathy." Samus replied. "I'm worried what would happen if you fall in love with a girl nine years younger than you."  
  
"Don't worry about me, Samus." Reed assured.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go see if I can find Leo and Roland." Samus said. "Enjoy your time at the ranch, Reed." With that, Samus turned around and walked out the door, leaving Reed to his thoughts.  
  
Reed smirked as he stood up. He walked out of the Inn and started his trek towards the ranch.  
  
The blonde man wasted no time in getting to the ranch. If he had gone any faster, he'd be running. Reed wanted to make sure he spent as much time helping Kathy as he could. When Reed arrived he saw Kathy tending to three of her horses, one of which was Gage. When she saw Reed coming, Kathy smiled.  
  
"Reed! You made it!" Kathy said. "Lilly give you another break?"  
  
"That she did, Kathy." Reed replied as he walked over to the teenage rancher. "Well, I'm here to help out if you need anything done."  
  
"Okay!" Kathy said. She walked into the stable and came back out with two pitchforks. She handed one of them to Reed. "I need to move some of the hay into the stable. You can help me if you want."  
  
"Sure." Reed replied. "That's what I'm here for."  
  
Reed walked over to a pile of hay and shoved his pitchfork in. However, just as he did so, he heard a loud yelp as a small, black animal shot out of the hay. Within seconds, Kogoro ran down the hill, away from the ranch. As Reed watched the dog run away, Kathy snickered.  
  
"I guess I forgot to warn you that Korogo loves to sleep in the hay." Kathy said.  
  
Reed himself snickered a little as he continued to shove his pitchfork into the hay.  
  
Reed quickly realized he needed to got more exercise. While he was shoveling the hay, he had grown so hot that he had to remove his gloves and jacket , revealing the white shirt he wore underneath.  
  
Half an hour passed. Reed and Kathy had finished loading the hay into each of the horses' section of the stable. Reed looked over at Kathy.  
  
"Anything else need to be done, Kathy?" Reed asked. He was determined to help out Kathy any way he could.  
  
Kathy scratched her chin. "I don't think so, Reed." She said. "You helping me with the hay cut my time from an hour to a half an hour."  
  
Suddenly, Kathy's eyes brightened. "Actually, two of my horses need to get a little exercise." She stated. "I can't take them both alone, so do you want to come with me?"  
  
"I don't really know about that, Kathy." Reed said as he slipped his jacket back on. "I've told you that I'm not really good with horses. To tell you the truth, I've never ridden one in my life."  
  
"It's alright." Kathy replied. "I'll show you how to ride."  
  
Reed thought for a second, then smiled. "Okay. I'll come along." He put his gloves back on as he stared at Kathy. "Which two horses need to be taken for a run?"  
  
"Gage and Thunder." Kathy replied as she led Reed into the stable.  
  
Kathy led Reed over to two horses. One was Gage, while the other was a beige horse with a white patch on its face. A second white patch of fur was on its back, where the saddle would sit.  
  
Kathy directed Reed, telling him how to get onto Thunder. Reed soon got the hang of it, and managed to sit on the saddle on Thunder's back. In the meantime, Kathy had gotten onto Gage in a fraction of the time Reed took.  
  
"Just follow me and do what I do, and you'll be fine." Kathy said. "Come on. We'll take Gage and Thunder for a run around Yaza Plains."  
  
"Shouldn't you leave the ranch to someone while we're gone?" Reed asked.  
  
"Way ahead of ya, Reed." Kathy replied with a wink. "I told Augustine that I was going out for a while, and he agreed to take care of the ranch until I got back. He came while we were shoveling the hay and he went around the back of the stable to fetch some water for the horses."  
  
Kathy led Reed through a break in the fence, which led through the meadow. The meadow, in turn would take Reed and Kathy directly to Yaza Plains.  
  
At first, Reed suggested that, once they reached Yaza, he could protect Kathy from any monsters that attacked, but Kathy replied saying that she had come through Yaza countless times, and had planted special herbs all over a specific area that had a fifty feet radius. Now that the herbs were planted, no monster had ever come NEAR the area, and was safe for horseback riders. Reed remained astonished at Kathy's statement. He had never heard her say something like that before. In fact, Reed figured that NO ONE had ever heard Kathy say something like that before.  
  
Soon, Reed and Kathy arrived at Yaza. Kathy showed Reed how to make his horse run, as it was needed if they were going to get to Kathy's barrier without encountering any monsters. Reed quickly got the hang of it, and the two rushed through Yaza, going straight towards an enormous, marked area. On the way, they had encountered a few monsters, but nothing more serious than a few Rabid Rabbits or a wild boar. The duo quickly arrived at Kathy's marked barrier, and rode their horses around in it, giving Gage and Thunder some much-needed exercise.  
  
While Kathy gave him instructions, Reed couldn't seem to get his mind off of her. Her hair, her face, her personality...  
  
Reed's eyes widened as a creeping realization sunk into him. Samus was right! He WAS falling for Kathy! Reed swallowed. He knew that he didn't have a chance with her, with Kathy being nine years younger and all. Reed realized that he could never have a relationship with someone so much younger than he.  
  
...Unless...  
  
Before Reed could finish his thought, Kathy spoke up, making the Tinto swordsman lose his concentration.  
  
"You're doing great, Reed!" Kathy complimented. "But I think we should head back. Your hour break is almost up."  
  
Reed's eyes sprang open. He had lost track of the time completely! "Yes. You're quite right, Kathy."  
  
Both Reed and Kathy quickly rode back to Budehuc Castle, not stopping for anything. Soon, both riders arrived back at Budehuc, taking the way around to reach the ranch first.  
  
When Reed and Kathy arrived at the ranch, they saw Augustine standing outside the stable. The gentleman saw them coming, and smiled.  
  
"Ah, Kathy! You're back." Augustine said. He then noticed Reed. "Sir Reed was with you?"  
  
"Hey, I had two horses to take for a run, and couldn't do them both by myself." Kathy replied as she and Reed came to a halt. Kathy stepped off Gage. "Was there any business while I was gone?"  
  
"Well, Rico showed up not too long ago." Augustine replied. "She said she was bored, so I suggested that she go on the racetrack riding Viper."  
  
Kathy's eyes sprang open. "You let an inexperienced girl like Rico ride VIPER?!"  
  
"Yes, what's so wrong about that?" Augustine asked.  
  
Suddenly, the trio of Reed, Kathy and Augustine heard what sounded like a scream. They looked in the direction of the racetrack and saw a horse and rider charging around the far corner, towards the ranch. On top of the wild horse, sat a young girl wearing a backpack, arms flailing.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Rico screamed as Viper tore down the racetrack with lightning quick speed. The horse carrying the helpless girl ran around the corner again and continued running, Rico screaming the whole time.  
  
Kathy sweatdropped. She quickly turned to Reed. "Thanks for everything, Reed." She said quickly. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word, Kathy charged onto the racetrack and tore off after Rico.  
  
Reed snickered as he walked away from the ranch, through Budehuc Castle and finally, towards the Inn.  
  
Reed pushed open the door to the Inn and walked inside. He quickly spotted Samus sitting at one of the tables. Reed went over to his friend and sat down.  
  
"How was you're break, Samus?" Reed asked.  
  
"Pretty good." Samus replied. "And yours?"  
  
"Excellent."  
  
Samus got straight to the point. "What about Kathy? You sure you don't have feelings for her?" He asked.  
  
Reed sighed. "My friend, you were right all along. I DO have feelings for Kathy."  
  
This time it was Samus who sighed. "Man, Reed! What are you thinking? You're falling in love with a girl who's not even twenty yet!"  
  
Reed laughed. "Don't worry, Samus. I've got I all under control."  
  
"What do you mean 'you got it all under control'?!" Samus demanded.  
  
"Look, I think a relationship could still work out between Kathy and I, just not in the way you'd think." Reed stated.  
  
"What do you mean?" Samus asked.  
  
"You see, Kathy's got no father." Reed said. "If I can't have her as a girlfriend, why can't a be like a brother-figure to her?"  
  
Samus cocked an eyebrow. "You? Kathy's brother-figure? You sure you can handle that?"  
  
"I'm sure of it, Samus." Reed said. "The next time milady gives us a break, I'm heading straight to the ranch to express my feelings to Kathy."  
  
Samus stood up and placed a hand on Reed's shoulder. "Okay. I trust you, Reed. But if she refuses, don't get upset." With that, Samus stared walking out of the Inn.  
  
Reed smiled as he got up and followed Samus. Things were definitely looking up...  
  
To be contined...  
  
Author's note: Sorry about the long wait. Now, don't get upset about this story being too short, but my next chapter is gonna be the last one. Originally, I was planning a five chapter story. The third chapter was gonna be about Rody and Belle sneaking out to the stable in the middle of the night and Rody turning Kathy into an adult in her sleep, but since I've decided to write more stories in this section, I've dropped the idea. Please read and review! 


	3. Blaze

Note to Zell's Girl: I'm so very touched by you creating a fic that had a Reed/Kathy part at the end. I'm so touched that I've decided to turn this fic back into a romance, even though it will only be a small part at the end.  
  
Note to DEL: I've looked up Kidd's investigations. I've deduced it down to two possibilities: Kathy is either the daughter of Billy or the daughter of the man that inspired Billy to become a treasure hunter. I'm thinking that it would be closer to the latter, as I highly DOUBT Kathy is Melville's sister. No offence, but I just can't find any inspiration from that.  
  
Chapter Three: Blaze  
  
The next day, the Tinto warriors were still at Budehuc Castle. Reed was determined to express his feelings to Kathy, even though he couldn't become anything more than a brother-figure to her.  
  
It was a bright, sunny afternoon, and everyone was cheerful for the wonderful weather. Even Lilly was a little brighter than normal. Currently, Lilly sat in the Inn, eating her lunch, while Reed and Samus stood in front of her, watching.  
  
"I'd better ask now while milady is in a good mood." Reed thought. He straightened up and spoke to Lilly. "Milady, may I have your permission to take a fifteen minute break?"  
  
Lilly swallowed a piece of food and looked at Reed with a glare that held no emotion. "Whatever for?"  
  
Reed walked over to Lilly, bent down, and whispered into her ear. Bad timing, as Lilly had just placed another piece of food in her mouth. Lilly's eyes sprang open as she swallowed her food whole. Suddenly, Lilly started coughing and choking as she grabbed her throat. Lilly continued choking, desperately trying to catch her breath.  
  
"Milady?" Reed asked as he slowly backed away. Lilly continued choking, grabbing her throat with one hand and slapping the table with the other.  
  
Suddenly, as if on cue, Tuta and Mio marched into the Inn and walked towards Lilly. As Mio stood aside, holding a medical bag, Tuta examined the choking Lilly.  
  
"Hmm...She seems to be choking on a piece of food." Tuta stated. "It appears to be stuck in her throat. This is quite serious." Tuta looked at his nurse. "Mio, the 'whack-bonk'!"  
  
Mio immediately reached into the bag and pulled out an odd, baton-like object.  
  
"What does THAT do?" Mel asked.  
  
Tuta didn't answer. He simply placed the 'whack-bonk' against the back of Lilly's head. He pulled his medical instrument back, and thrust it forward.  
  
*WHACK!* *BONK!*  
  
Lilly was silent. She wasn't moving. Reed would've checked his employer's face to see if she was all right, but that was impossible considering her face was now planted into the table. Tuta and Mio marched out of the room as quickly as they came.  
  
"Milady?" Reed and Samus asked timidly.  
  
"...Reed?..." Lilly muttered weakly.  
  
"Y-Yes, milady?" Reed asked, unsure if she was angry or not.  
  
"...You have my permission...To take a fifteen minute break...Starting now." Lilly managed to say.  
  
"Thank you, milady!" Reed said as he bowed and rushed out of the Inn.  
  
"...Samus?" Lilly asked.  
  
"Yes, milady?" Samus asked.  
  
"Can you help me get back into my room?"  
  
"Certainly, milady." Samus replied as he walked over to his mistress. "May I ask what for?"  
  
"I think I've just received my first concussion."  
  
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/  
  
However, as Reed was rushing towards the ranch, four shadowy figures stood hidden at the edge of the woods on the other side of the ranch, watching Kathy as she tended to her horses. They each held a crossbow in hand.  
  
"I don't know why we agreed to this." The third man muttered.  
  
"Why should we care?" The leader quizzed. "We're getting paid handsomely for this job."  
  
"Well, why does the boss have such an interest in those horses?" The second man asked.  
  
"He says that those horses are more valuable than even the ones in Harmonia." The leader explained.  
  
"Whoa!" The fourth man exclaimed, although not loud. "That's a valuable bunch of horses!"  
  
"Anyway," The leader said. "The ranch girl there looks like she's gonna put all the horses in the stable soon." He pointed back to a campfire, which the men were blocking from view by standing in front of it. In the fire, sat four arrows, the tips blazing with fire. "As soon as she does, we'll fire those flaming arrows at the piles of hay surrounding the stable doors. As soon as she realizes the stable is burning, she'll let all of the horses out."  
  
"And that when we nab them?" The third man asked.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"What about the girl?" The second asked.  
  
"She doesn't matter." The leader stated. "If we nab her too, it'll only be a consolation prize." He noticed that Kathy had taken all the horses into the stable, went in herself and shut the door behind her. The leader turned to his companions. "Prepare the arrows!"  
  
Meanwhile, Reed was rushing towards the ranch, only one thing on his mind: Kathy. He wanted to express his feelings so bad, he would do almost anything to tell her. Just the thought of Kathy's cheery personality made Reed's feelings soar.  
  
Reed was almost at the ranch. Kathy was nowhere in sight, but the stable doors were closed. Reed figured that Kathy had gone into the stable. He was about to rush towards the stable when something caught his eye: Four men dressed in black, standing at the edge of the woods, aiming four flaming arrows at the piles of hay along the stable doors. Reed's eyes sprang open in horror, realizing what the bandits were going to do.  
  
Immediately, Reed changed his direction. In a split second, Reed ripped his sword from his holster. In a split second more, Reed was charging towards the bandits who were taking aim at the hay.  
  
"NO!" Reed cried. The forth man quickly turned his attention to the oncoming man and immediately fired his arrow. The arrow barely missed Reed's right shoulder and struck a tree, quickly setting it on fire. Unfortunately, at the same time, the others had already fired their arrows, all of which hit a pile of hay.  
  
Reed made quick work with his sword. Within minutes, all four bandits were dead. Reed stood over the bandits, clenching the handle of his sword with anger.  
  
Suddenly, Reed heard a shrill, ear-piercing scream. Reed's eyes widened even more.  
  
Kathy!  
  
Reed spun around instantly, his horror increasing just as fast. The whole stable, save the door and a few parts of the roof, was engulfed in flames! At first, Reed wondered how it could ignite that fast, but he realized that the stable was made of wood, which made it quicker to burn.  
  
Well, that was the least of his worries at the moment. Reed rushed over to the stable as fast as his feet could carry him. Reed rushed over to the door and tried to open it. Reed's eyes sprang open. The door was jammed! He banged his fists against the door.  
  
"KATHY!" Reed cried, praying she was alright. "KATHY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"  
  
"Ungh...Reed?" Kathy's voice replied. Reed suddenly heard someone banging against the door. "REED! HELP ME! PLEASE!" Reed heard Kathy cough a few times. "IT'S GETTING HARD FOR ME TO BREATHE!"  
  
Reed started to panic. This had never happened to him before. Someone's life was actually in his hands. Suddenly, Reed brightened. He turned back to the door.  
  
"Kathy, stand away from the door!" Reed instructed.  
  
"Okay!" Kathy coughed. "But please hurry! I don't know if I can take the smoke much longer!"  
  
Reed quickly backed away from the door until he was a fair distance away. Clenching his sword, Reed charged towards the door. Once he got close enough, Reed lashed out his sword, striking the door with more force and power than he had ever done before. The sword attack managed to significantly weaken the door, so Reed added power by using his shoulder to plow his way through. The doors burst open as smoke immediately poured out into the air.  
  
Reed looked around the stable, he quickly spotted Kathy kneeling on the ground, coughing. Her head was lowered, her face covered by her hat. Kathy's head lifted when she heard Reed cry her name.  
  
"REED!" Kathy cried as she got to her feet and ran at Reed.  
  
Kathy practically threw herself at Reed, her arms wrapped around his neck in a death hug. Kathy buried her head into Reed's chest, sobbing and coughing.  
  
"Kathy, there's no time to lose!" Reed stated. "We need to get your horses out of here!"  
  
Kathy quickly pulled away from Reed and nodded her head. The two quickly released all most of the horses, and they all charged out of the stable and ran off down the hill, towards the Bujitsu Center/Blacksmith. Soon, the only horse left in the stable was Gage. Reed turned to Kathy, who looked like she was getting weaker from all the smoke.  
  
"We need to get out of here!" Reed said, starting to cough.  
  
Kathy nodded, coughing. "Let's take Gage! We'll be out of here quicker!"  
  
Reed and Kathy both ran towards Gage, but Reed quickly noticed Kathy was slowing down.  
  
"Kathy?" Reed asked, looking over his shoulder. Kathy didn't answer. She simply coughed a few more times and collapsed to the ground. All the smoke had gotten to her. "Kathy!" Reed cried as he rushed to Kathy's side. He knew it was pointless to try and wake her up, so Reed scooped up the unconscious girl into his arms and ran back towards Gage.  
  
Reed released Gage from her stall and hoisted the blonde rancher onto Gage's back. He climbed up himself, although he was still feeling a little weak. Reed sat down in front of Kathy and grabbed her arms. Reed wrapped Kathy's arms around his waist and used his belt to tie them together, just to make sure Kathy didn't fall.  
  
"Come on, Gage!" Reed said. "Let's go!"  
  
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/  
  
"What's going on?!" A fully awake Juan asked Peggi, wide eyed. "I heard a scream!"  
  
Peggi was equally wide eyed, holding his golden hammer in his left hand. Both he and Juan were staring at a pillar of smoke rising from the ranch's area. Scattered around their area were most of Kathy's horses. The only one absent was Gage.  
  
"I wish I knew!" Peggi replied. By now, a lot of the castle's residents were gathered around the area.  
  
"What's happened?!" Juan and Peggi heard. They turned to see Thomas and Cecile rushing down the stone steps, towards them. With them was Hugo, Chris, Lilly and Samus.  
  
"That's what WE'D like to know!" Juan stated as he turned back to the smoke.  
  
"It seems to be coming from the ranch!" Peggi said.  
  
Lilly gasped as she covered her mouth. "Reed's out there!"  
  
"Come on!" Hugo stated. "We can't just stand here! Let's go help!"  
  
Before anyone could agree with the Flame Champion, everyone heard a horse's footsteps slowly approaching. Everyone was silent, no one daring to make a sound. Everyone, even Lilly, prayed that Reed and Kathy were alright.  
  
Suddenly, something came in view. A horse was slowly approaching, two figures perched on top. The male was breathing heavily, while the female was unconscious. Her arms were bound around the man's waist to prevent her from falling. Both were burned, but the female looked worse.  
  
"Reed! You're alright!" Samus cried. A roar of cheer erupted from the crowd.  
  
As soon as Gage came to a stop, Reed untied Kathy's hands and jumped off Gage, the unconscious youth in his arms. "I'm...Fine." Reed said in between breaths. "But the ranch isn't looking too good."  
  
Hugo turned to the rest of the crowd. "Those with a water rune, go to the ranch and try to put out the fire!"  
  
Chris, being the bearer of the True Water Rune, led a group towards the ranch. At the same time, Reed charged through the crowd, up the steps, towards the main building, Kathy in his arms the whole way. Reed rushed through the building...Towards the Infirmary.  
  
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/  
  
Hours passed. Reed nervously paced back and forth in front of the Infirmary, with a small group of the castle residents, all just as nervous. Even after all this time, Reed was still waiting to Tuta and Mio to come back with a response to Kathy's condition.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened, and Tuta came out. Reed was immediately in the doctor's face. "Is she alright?!" He asked frantically.  
  
"She's suffered severe burns in several places, but other than that, she's fine. She's just resting now." Tuta replied.  
  
Reed grinned widely, tears of joy running down his face. "May I please see her?"  
  
"Go right ahead, but be quiet." Tuta explained.  
  
Reed quickly, but quietly, entered the Infirmary. He quickly spotted Kathy lying on one of the beds, sleeping. Reed walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her, his legs still resting on the floor. He watched as Kathy peacefully slept. Reed thought that, even though she still had burn marks on her face, Kathy was still as beautiful as ever. Reed realized right then and there just how much he cared for Kathy, and he didn't feel like being her 'big brother'.  
  
Suddenly, Kathy jolted up in her bed. "The stable! The fire! The horses!" Kathy cried.  
  
Reed quickly grasped Kathy's shoulders, helping to bring her back to reality. "It's alright, Kathy. You're in the Infirmary. Your horses are all safe."  
  
Kathy slowly turned her head to stare at Reed. Her crystal-like tears ran freely down her face. "Reed?"  
  
Once again, Kathy lunged at Reed, wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest.  
  
"Oh, Reed! I was so scared!" Kathy sobbed. "I've never been that scared in my life! If you weren't there..." She trailed off, drowning her voice in her own tears.  
  
Reed shushed her. "It's alright, Kathy. I got you out." He said. "All of your horses, especially Gage, are alright." Reed let a stream of tears run down his face and into Kathy's hair. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
Kathy pulled away and stared at Reed. "Why's that?"  
  
Reed sighed. "I was coming to the ranch to tell you something when I noticed some bandits about to set the stable on fire."  
  
"What were you gonna tell me?"  
  
Reed decided to stop stalling and straight out tell her. "I love you more than anything, Kathy. If you died before I told you that, I'd be scarred for life."  
  
Kathy was staring at Reed, eyes wide and mouth open. "I-I-I don't know what to say."  
  
Reed sighed. "I'll understand if you don't love me back, Kathy. I just wanted to tell you that."  
  
"Reed," Kathy said weakly. "I don't know what I would've said if the fire hadn't started," Kathy suddenly cracked a warm smile. "But because you saved my life, I've just made up my mind."  
  
Kathy didn't reply with a 'yes' or a 'no'. She simply grabbed Reed by his jacket and pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss. Reed was startled by Kathy's actions, but was thankful for what she did. Reed wrapped his arms around Kathy, savoring his first kiss.  
  
Reed didn't care what Samus thought. He didn't care what Lilly thought. He didn't care what ANYBODY thought.  
  
Kathy was his and that was all that mattered to him.  
  
END  
  
Author's notes: Sorry if I've been confusing you guys with the constant genre changes, but I just haven't been knowing what to do. Well, now that I'm finished, I've got two Suikoden fics in mind for my next project: A one- shot Rody/Belle and a songfic starring Juan. The question is, which would you guys like to see first? Please read and review! 


End file.
